The Tradition · Reform Era
1978 – 2000
Revival and Market Reintegration
Production Authority
State factories continued operating but private studios began to re-emerge. Individual makers reclaimed personal identity within a loosening institutional framework.
Jingdezhen reconnected with global art markets and academic institutions. A dual ecology of state and private production emerged.
Material & Technical Shift
Revival of traditional wood-fired kiln techniques
Reintroduction of historical glaze recipes from institutional archives
Emergence of studio-scale experimentation alongside factory production
Market Orientation
International collectors, academic institutions, and auction houses re-engaged with Jingdezhen production. Export channels reopened alongside a growing domestic collector base.
The relationship between production and market shifted from state allocation to negotiated exchange. Reputation and provenance began to function as market signals again.
Structural Tension
Traditional technique vs market-driven production
Studio independence vs commercial pressure
Historical fidelity vs contemporary reinterpretation
This period re-opened the question of what Jingdezhen porcelain could be. The contemporary ecology that followed inherits both the possibilities and the contradictions established here.